Former Auburn linebacker Josh Bynes has seemingly done it all. After helping Auburn to a national championship in 2010, Bynes was selected as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens in 2011. One year later, Bynes cracked the starting lineup and helped the Ravens win their first Super Bowl since 2000. Bynes took some time off from celebrating recently to visit Auburn and reconnect with fans on The Plains. While in Auburn, I got the chance to speak to Bynes about his adjustment to the pros, the retirement of Ravens legend Ray Lewis and Auburn's 2013 NFL Draft prospects.
AY: You're fresh off a Super Bowl victory. Talk about your journey from being an undrafted free agent to starting for the Super Bowl champions.
JB: It’s been a long, crazy ride. Going from where I started from — which is a hard long road, being undrafted and trying to fight to be on the roster each and every week — and just to come up, be active and start for the Super Bowl and actually win the Super Bowl is just crazy. I couldn’t ask for anything better.
You've been in the league for two seasons. How do you think you did in your first season as a full time contributor?
I think I did all right. For the first time starting and going through the whole season, playing special teams and everything like that, I think it’s only going to get better. I’ve been in the league two years now, so the third year coming up is going to be even better.
How was the adjustment from playing middle linebacker in Auburn's 4-3 defense to playing inside linebacker for the Ravens 3-4?
It’s a little different, but it’s kind of the same. It’s like an inverted 4-3 in a way. It’s really not that much of a difference. It’s just now, you’re not the only single guy in the middle. It helps. You’ve got two inside linebackers to help cover each other’s half of the field so it makes it even better to get down in there and take on blocks.
Speaking of two inside linebackers, the guy you played alongside last season, Ray Lewis, is now retired after a Hall of Fame worthy career. What did his mentorship mean to you?
He meant a lot to me. Ray Lewis has taught me and the other linebackers on the team what it takes to play linebacker for 17 years as far as knowing the film and knowing what to do out there each and every practice and play and to maintain that for 17 years. And he does other stuff besides football. Football’s not going to make you. You want to change the game of football and be a person outside of football. That’s what Ray Lewis does. He’s just a great person. I couldn’t learn from anybody better than Ray Lewis, one of the best linebackers to play the game.
Lewis played strong side linebacker most of the time, and although you might not take over his exact position, is there any kind of pressure to fill the void left by his absence?
It’s no problem at all. I play both, I know the positions so I love playing right there on the inside. Right there in the middle is where I’m best suited, and that’s where you’re going to get the best qualities out of me. I’m just looking forward to the opportunity to play and start this year. Whatever happens is going to happen, and I’m just going to take this opportunity and go with it.
You were an undrafted free agent once. With Auburn players taking the field for Pro Day March 5, what do they need to do to prepare for the draft and shine in the eyes of the scouts?
They don’t need to do too much. Just be the same player you’ve always been and try to boost it to one extra level to get their attention and show what kind of player you are. Coaches right now already watched the film, and know what you’re capable of doing. It’s just an extra little showing right in front of you. They get to see you up close and personal. The only thing they can do is take care of business on Tuesday, and whatever happens on draft day happens.
I thought I did a pretty good job. I thought everything was in place for me, and I didn’t get drafted. And if you don’t get drafted, trust me, teams are going to be calling them to pick them up as a free agent. When you get picked as a free agent, you’re still going to have an opportunity. You might not get the signing bonus and all the other stuff, but at the same time you’ve got the same opportunity all these other guys have. You just have to make the best of it and hope that one day you’ll get there and make it.
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